Web Development Documentation

Alternative Text (Alt Text)

Alternative text ("alt txt") provides the textual equivalent of an image to the web page. The description you write should be short and concise, but accurately describe the image content. Implementing alternative text allows screen readers to describe an image that would otherwise be skipped over to those with visual or other cognitive impairments. For this reason it is required that all images must implement proper alternative text.

To add alternative text to an image follow this procedure:

  1. Find the article containing the image that needs "alt txt" and click on its title.
  2. Click once on the image inside the article's Content area, then click the Insert/Edit Image button Insert/Edit Image button in the WYSIWYG editor:

    "Insert/Edit" Image button
  3. Enter a short description of the image in the "Alternate Text" field (see #1 below):
    "Alternate Text" field in Image Manager

  4. Click Update to the lower right of the "Image Manager" window (see #2 above)
  5. Save the article. It is okay that you do not see the alternative text; it will only show up if disable images in your browser.